Fire-fighting apparatus



J. p. WOLF. I FIRE FIGHTING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR: 22, 1921.

. Patented 6,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Jan s Q .WOLE

. JAMES D. WOLF, or oRoToN-on-iwpsoiLnEw Yoari i;

v FIRE-FIGHTING ArrneATilfs.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JAMES D. Wonr, a

citizen of Hungary,. residing at Croton on- Hudson, in the county-of VVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Fighting Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to fire fighting apparatus, having more particular reference to an extensible ladder and platform device. I

The invention has foran object to provide a novel device ofthis kind which can be readily raised or lowered and which may be used as a ladder'togain access to the upper floors of burning buildings, and also provides a platform from which a stream of water may be directed into the windows on such upper floors. g i For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages" V I I y in width toward the top,' this" construction being utilized: to facilitate' winding' onthe thereof, reference will be had .to the following description and accompanying drawings, and'to the appendedclaim inwhich the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Fig. 1 of the drawings is a plan view of my improved device showing it carried upon a motor truck. and in raised position, the clutch operating mechanism being omitted.

Fig. 219a side View thereof, the drums carrying the ladders being shown in transverse section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the ladder rounds are arranged with reference to each other when the'ladder elements are wound.

upon the drums.

Fig. 4' is a fragmentary vertical section of one of the ladder elements.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing the clutch through which the winding drums are connected to the motor. and the means for automatically disengaging the winding drums from the motor. I

Fig. 6 is a detail faceview ofone of the ladder elements extended.

Fig. 7 is a similar view'to Fig. 2 butshowing the device in lowered position.

,I have here shown my device as carried upon a motor truck frame 10, being mounted to the rear of the drivers seat 11.

In carrying out the-invention I provide a pair of drums 12 and 13 respectively extending transversely of the truck and spaced Specification of Letters Pa e. P tentedeunefi, 1922. '1 Application filed April 22, 1921." Serial No. 4533.444.

apart longitudii'iallyfjof the latter, these drums being supported in suitable bearing v members carried on theme]; frameg 'Thesc drums are adapted to have ladderielements woundthereon,'tliese ladder 'elementsbeing I indicated generally 'at '14 andj15' in Fig. 1 of the drawings. 1 1

The'posts of these la dder elenients are 5 'to one another hinges 1-7 to abut endi to made upof a series of, shortbars 1'6hinge d end. The ro'unds 18 of the ladders a f filom cated midway between the bars 16. To holdthe ladder posts against; 1 I 1 collapsing I provide on the sides thereof spring rods 19 which' are secured at one end I to one bar .or'section' and" project. freely at section: Upon the upper ends 'ofth'e ladder elements a platform QO ismOunted, pivotal ladder elements and the platform.

the opposite end across the round of the next connections being "provided "between said As seen in face view thelladdersna r'row drums the post s winding in a'spiral' fjo 'r'mation on "the drums. The drums'12'. 7

of polygonal shape, each. side. corresponding when the bars are engagedth'erewith,

When in lowered position, as injFig. 7,'

the ladder elements are wound several turns around the drums, and to perm1t ofeach succeeding turn lYlIlgClOSG upon the periphas in Fig. 3, the higher ones being set, further in from thehinged edges ofthe bars 16,

while notches 21 are provided in the bars in which the rounds of the preceding turns ery of each drum the rounds 18 are arranged,v i

are received. The lower rounds. are preferf ably arranged to project from the hinged edges of the posts and are received in notches 22 in. thedrums.

Partially surrounding the drums are seg- 3 mental frame elements 25 carrying; 'a series of rollers 26 which are adapted to engage the outer'edges of the posts and act to bend the latter against action of springs 19 around the drums.

The drumsare adapted for rotation by i the usual motor indicated at 27which drives the truck, a sprocket chain 28 being looped over suitable sprocket wheels on the main shaft of the. motor and a second shaft 29 ex-';

tending longitudinally of the truck. Upon this shaft 29 are fixed a pair of bevel pinions 30 meshing with a pair of bevel gears 31 fixed to the shafts of the drums.

The shaft 29 is formed in two sections adapted to be united by a clutch 35 of-ordinary construction. This clutch is here shown as operable by a yoke arm 36 on a rockshaft 37 on which is fixed a hand lever 38 provided with the usual slidable locking rod 39 connected to a bolt 40 adapted to engage a notched segment 41. To this rod 39 is pivotally connected one end of a lever 42 which is fulcrumed between its ends as at i ladder element 14 near the front of the truck, will raise vertically, and the other ladder element 15 at an inclination toward the first ladder element.

The manner of operation is as follows:

Assuming the device to be in the raised position shown in- Figs. 1 and 2, the ladder elements will be held against any tendency to collapse by the springs 19,which may be of suflicient strength for this purpose; access to-the platform 20 being preferably had by way of the inclined ladder element 15, the rollers 26 preventing the ladder elements disaengaging from the drums at their lower s. i To lower the device the hand lever is moved to set the clutch 35, causing the drums to rotate and winding the ladder elements thereon, the springs 19 bein bent by en'- gagement of, the bars 16 with the rollers 26.

As the device lowers, each succeeding turn on the drum lies within the preceding turn, the arrangement shown i11'Flg. 3 allowing each turn to lie in flat contact with the drum.

To raise the device the lever 38 is set by handto engage the clutch, and the ladder elements are unwound from thedrums, raising to the position shown in Fig. 2. I When the lug 45 engages lever 44 the lockingbolt .40 is raised, and spring 46 moves the clutch.

to released position. 1

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Let- 'te'rs Patent ofthe United States is as follows I v A device of the type described comprising a support, a pair of drums on said support, I

ladder elements comprising posts'f adapted to be wound on the respective drums said ladder elements having: their posts comprising short bars hinged together along one .side edge to abut end. to end, springs holding said bars against swinging movement upon one another, 'said'posts inclining toward one another from the base of, each ladder element toward the top, and rounds mounted on said bars, the rounds on the up; per bars being set further from the hinged .sideedges of the posts than the rounds on the lower bars, the upper bars having their hinged side edges notched to register with the rounds on certain of thelower bars when said elements are wound on their respective drums. 1 g A I In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature. a

JAMES D. WOLF. 

